Joseph is in line for an extension that could make him the highest-paid safety in the NFL, and the fourth-year Detroit Lions defensive back learned Wednesday he has another nearly seven-figure payout coming his way from the NFL’s Performance Based Pay system.
Joseph earned the sixth-highest PBP distribution among all NFL players, a payout of $996,253 for his play last season when he led the NFL with nine interceptions.
Under the NFL’s PBP guidelines, players who appear in at least one game receive a bonus distribution based on a formula that takes into account playing time and salary.
A third-round pick out of Illinois in 2021, Joseph played 99% of the Lions’ defensive snaps last season and earned a base salary of $1.14 million. He finished with career-highs of nine interceptions and 83 tackles, was selected first-team All-Pro and is eligible for a contract extension for the first time this spring.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes has said he’s in the early stages of planning for new deals with Joseph and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. The team was expected to meet with the agents for both players during the NFL combine last month.
Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31) takes the field during introduction before kickoff against Green Bay Packers during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024.
Joseph could surpass Antoine Winfield as the NFL’s highest-paid safety on his next contract, while Hutchinson could become the NFL’s highest-paid pass rusher. Winfield signed a four-year, $84.1 million extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last spring coming off his first All-Pro season. Myles Garrett, who got a new deal from the Cleveland Browns this week, is the league’s highest paid defensive end at $40 million per season.
“He’s one that has proven that he’s a Detroit Lion, he fits our culture,” Holmes said of Joseph in January. “It’s hard to find ballhawk guys that will tackle like how he does, and I think that’s what makes him unique. So again, we haven’t had any intense dialogue about that yet, but obviously we want to keep the good players here.”
New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood led all NFL players in PBP pay this year with a distribution of $1.09 million.
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